HYDE CHESHIRE

Harry Rutherford's Festival of Britain Mural

Wednesday, 27 October 2010

The Aspland Maternity Home.

THE Aspland Maternity Home on Higham Lane, Gee Cross was the pride of the area when it opened as a hospital on October 1, 1931 and for more than 40 years served the community.Its closure in November 1973 was a sad time for a lot of local people who held this place of haven in very high regard....even people who weren't fortunate enough to have been born there.

The grounds were first opened as a public park on 29th July 1922 before the house was converted into the maternity hospital.

In 1932, the fee for a 16-day stay and delivery at the home cost the family a staggering £4 and 10 shillings !

Sadly, the building was demolished in 1987 and the land was sold to make room for private housing.

These wonderful photos were donated by Nick Clarke who was one of the lucky people who can proudly call the Aspland their place of birth.Thanks very much for sharing, Nick :)

38 comments:

I must have slept during school since I haven't caught up with this blog. Nice to see that you are still blogging and a blog with a clear purpose. All too much of local history gets lost. Kudos to you!

My sister-in-law was born at Aspland Maternity home back in 1963. The Matron at the time was called Janet and my Mother-in-Law named her baby girl Janet after the Matron. Janet '63 moved to Oz in 1990 and her Mum & Dad arrived here in 1992. We all live within a few minutes drive from each other.

I was born in Aspland in August of 1950. I was sad when on one of my visits back to the UK it had disappeared. Four years ago I brought my wife and all my four children back to Hyde to do the "Roots tour" and took them to the area of the home and then took them to where I grew up at in 5 Sykes Street and that was demolished also. We sat in our rented cars in what we used to call "The back" a cinder based empty spot behind the houses on Sykes street and Stockport Road and looked at a pile of weeds that was my childhood home. My history was disappearing.

My youngest daughter was born in the Aspland in Jan 1960 and I recall trying to walk up the hill from the bus stop with Ice and snow on the ground, it was one step forward and two back most of the way a lot different to life in Oz.

just before aspland was closed a couple called tommy and may bedall were the caretakers till it was demolished they lived in the lodge it was used at the end as a nurses training centre i did a couple of weeks relief caretaking when the bedalls went away when i worked at hyde hospital in 1978

I was born at Aspland Maternity Home 1n 1942,and my brother Peter in 1948.The large stone gate posts that were at the entrance were re erected across the road at the entrance of the car park of the Werneth Low visitors centre.

Hello there Carol..Thank you for commenting... if you'd like to scan the clipping and email it to us I will include it in the post... we are always very grateful for having such items sent in, they give the posting a bit of a personal touch.

I love these pictures of the Aspland. Does any one have any pictures of the inside of Aspland Maternity home. I was born there in 1946, and I had my second daughter there in Feb 1972. I arrived there at midnight on the 22 and the place was so full, that my daughter was born in the corridor outside the delivery room, the staff were run off their feet, when my daughter was born she was quite blue and her airways were full of mucus so she didn't cry for a few minutes and I was worried, but sister Proctor got her breathing, that lady was wonderful. A few hours later I was moved to the small room that only had six beds, very cosy and the view from the window was lovely. What a great place to have a baby. My "little girl" is going to be forty on Thursday, can't believe it was so long ago, I remember it all so clearly. From Trish

Hi Trish.. What a great comment... makes our work here worth while when we get comments like this... thank you.. We have not come by any picture of the inside which is a pity.. lets hope someone read these comment and sends some in.

I WAS BORN IN ASPLAND ON 9,2,1967 .Jacqueline Valerie Later my mums name was then Jacqueline Later.Its lovely to see that i was born in such a nice place not just any hospital ,thanks for the Pictures.Jacqui

My name is Catherine. I was born at Aspland Maternity Home in October 1967. It is the first time I have seen pictures of it. I googled it out of interest and was surprised to see so much. Quite emotional really.

Like the majority of these post's, I also was born at Aspland Maternity Home, May 1959. I have passed it's site many times since and still remark to myself or whomever I'm with, that that was the area where I was delivered, sad it's gone, c'est la vie...

I was born at aspland at 10.20 150766 and then my sister in August 1971. I still recall going to collecther with dad and mum must have seen us pullup in silver mk1 escort _she came top of steps and said she was just getting baby! I've just seen pix of the place for. 1st time since that day!! P.Herrick _ Denton

I lived just 200yds away from Aspland when i was just a young girl..such a great shame its gone , it was very regal building , none of my 3 children were born there unfortunatly,,booked in but circumstances changed things. I do remember though the matron having a reputation for being very strict, we had to do as we were told in those days ..I expect she would be very shocked at some of the ways today ...regards Anita

I was born in Aspland in March 1947 and was about to return after 50 odd years. Sorry to hear it is not there any longer. Heard many stories from my mother about trudging up the steep hill in the snow the day I was born.

I was born at Aspland Maternity home in September 1969, I remember going to pick my sister up in 1973 (she was rushed to Tameside because of complications, but mum returned to have her weeks rest) and having to stand at the bottom of a big staircase as children weren't allowed inside lol

I was born there in January 1945 during a very bad winter.We had to live with my grandmother in Hyde for a while because we had run out of coal,it being wartime.My parents played tennis there in the 1930's when the grounds were open to the public.

So lovely to see photos of where I was born in July 1953. Such a shame I ever got to see it and now its too late. Having said that I must have seen it because I love old houses and veranda's. I have moved numerous times in my life and if you asked me my ideal home I would describe exactly what the Apland looks like,even down to the colourand to be somewhere rural too! how strange.

Hi - I was born here on 19th Feb 1963. I'd never have guessed that this site even existed - so glad it does. Well done to Nancy, Dave, Paul and Tom for keeping this local history alive - vital work.ThanksPhil B

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